The bag of ice, only half gone, was still on Alex's hand when he opened the door and he wasn't sure whether his crutch was still straight after running into his father's head, so he didn't use any kind of support as he made his way to the door and opened it. And maybe there was a small part of him that had been afraid either that it would be his father or that Michael wouldn't come, because he let out a soft breath when he saw that Michael was there.

He still felt like an idiot, both because he'd mistexted Michael and...well, then he'd said his plan had been to seduce him. And it wasn't. Or at least it hadn't been. But now Michael was here and Alex couldn't help seeing that 'terrorist' label and it terrified him what that might mean for Michael.

He had questions and Michael, he was coming to believe, might have answers. Alex could feel his entire life changing in front of his eyes, but all he could see was Michael.

He took a step back. "Come on in."